The competition to build a military refueling tanker is not over after all, it appeared Friday, as the number of prospective contractors jumped to three.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the United Aircraft, which is owned by the Russian government, is considering a bid to adapt one of its wide-body planes into a military tanker and assemble it in the U.S.

That news comes on the heels of statements by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) that it was rethinking the “feasibility” of reentering the fray.

Last week, Northrop Grumman and EADS pulled out of the long-running multibillion-dollar Air Force competition that they saw as stacked against the plane they planned to offer, leaving Boeing as the last contractor standing.

Now the field is growing crowded. Interest in the competition follows statements from the Pentagon that it is "seriously considering" extending the sign-up date past the current May 12 deadline.

"EADS has indicated interest in possibly competing for the Air Force's KC-X tanker and asked that we extend the deadline for proposals by 90 days," Morrell said. "In keeping with our long-standing commitment to a fair and open competition, we continue to welcome proposals from all qualified bidders and are right now seriously considering the extension request from EADS. A reasonable extension,
were it granted, would certainly be in keeping with past practice."

Asked about the potential for a third competitor, Morrell said, "We have always said that we welcome any qualified offer."

EADS was encouraged by the Pentagon's willingness to keep open the bidding process.

"This is a significant development," the company said in its statement. "EADS is assessing this new situation to determine if the company can feasibly submit a responsive proposal to the Department’s request for proposal."

One day earlier, EADS CEO Louis Gallois told reporters such a situation was "almost impossible."

Gallois had previously said the company was unlikely to bid on its own, without a new American partner since its former teammate, Northrop Grumman, withdrew from the running.

While the aerospace giant appears optimistic about the potential to stay in the fight against its global rival Boeing, it's still concerned that the Pentagon's specifications seem to favor the Boeing plane.

"In the end, the company will only submit a proposal if there is a fair chance to win, after evaluating all relevant factors," the statement said.

The Pentagon’s statement quickly drew the ire of Democrat Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, where Boeing plans to assemble KC-767 tankers if it wins the competition.

“I am very disappointed that the Department of Defense is even considering giving in to Airbus and extending the hard deadline for tanker bids,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). “I believe in a fair and open competition but this is no time to put American service members and workers on hold while a foreign company waffles.”

Conversely Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama was encouraged by the possibility that EADS, which would assemble its tankers in Mobile, Ala., might rejoin the competition.

“Although this process has dragged on for more than a decade, if the Pentagon believes that providing a reasonable extension of the bidding window will allow it to fulfill its congressional mandate for competition, it should do so,” Sessions said. “In truth, the department should be ecstatic that there is a chance for competition in what was looking to be another sole-source contract. We know from experience that sole-source selections lead to higher costs and less capability.